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Friday, 23 December 2016

CREDAI NCR encourages builders to adopt green building norms

The need for inclusion of features like ramps and Braille in modern
apartments is increasingly felt by citizens. Home buyers also express a need
for making the high-rises age sustainable.

NOIDA: In a bid to
uphold the model building bye-laws of 2016,Credai NCRhas
started encouraging builders to include the best practices while designing
their projects; especially the ones related to the provisions for creating a
barrier-free environment for the differently-abled and the elderly.

"We encourage all builders to adapt the green
building norms; especially the ones pertaining to the inclusion of the
differently-abled. The green certification needs a set of conditions to be met.
Adapting structures to suit the needs of the differently-abled is one such
norm," Manoj Gaur, president of Credai NCR, told TOI.

The need for inclusion of features like ramps and
Braille in modern apartments is increasingly felt by citizens. Home buyers also
express a need for making the high-rises age sustainable.

Real estate expert Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) on
Monday shared a set of practices to influence builders across the country to
include the model building bye-laws of 2016.

Few of the points highlighted by JLL includes the
provision of parking on the ground floor, motorised wheelchairs for ease with
ramps, hand rails, easy signage for the visually impaired, elevators with hand
rails, easily accessible switches, special toilets, faster lift door opening
time, adequate sitting area for the elderly, evacuation route and refuge
provisions.

Building bye-laws are legal tools used to regulate
architectural design and construction factors of buildings to achieve orderly
development. They are essentially mandatory, and are meant to protect buildings
against earthquakes, fire, noise, structural failures and other hazards.

Piyush Gandhi, National Director, Project &
Development Services, JLL India, illustrates, "Do the current construction
norms require real estate developers to make specific provisions for the
differently-abled, disabled and senior citizens? They do — but in many areas of
the Indian real estateindustry, sufficient
implementation lags behind the on-paper regulations.

The Model Building Bye-Laws 2016 (Chapter 8), IS
Code 4963, CPWD guidelines give a detailed design and plan to provide a
barrier-free environment for the differently-abled and elderly. In fact, they
have a dedicated chapter on design provisions to be incorporated in any
building which modern builders can use while designing their projects.

"The future of construction and building lies
in sustainability. Builders automatically get the benefit of increased floor
area ratio (FAR) when they adhere to green norms. While most builders already
need to meet over 50% norms to gain the environment clearance, we now encourage
them to introduce a couple of more differentiators to be completely green
certified by special agencies," Gaur added.